Of Flames and Familiars
by Atarashii Tanjou
Summary: This is the story of two flames that met in the darkness of a shared world, and the challenges they faced and overcame together. This is a story of love where it shows, and often found at the worst timing. This is the story of a love that will change worlds.
1. Prologue - The Third World

Prologue - The Third World

Assiah and Gehenna, separated only by a gate that could not be destroyed, continued to clash, unaware that there was one other world, connected to them both, yet uniquely different at the same time. The Other-world, with many Other Selves, awaited, and it was only a matter of time before it met with its neighboring worlds.

The little bird flies between worlds, between the fabric of reality itself, and in dreams, casts its own reflection on a different world. The little bird is also subject to bearing the burdens of itself through that reflection. There is but one hidden trait of the little bird... its reflection, as an Other Self, may be summoned from different worlds when the need arises. When one of like calls, the little bird will fly to help.

This is the story of two flames that met in the darkness of a shared world, and the challenges they faced and overcame together. This is a story of love where it shows, and often found at the worst timing. This is the story of a love that will change worlds.


	2. Chapter One - The Little Bird

Chapter One - The Little Bird

 _Black Rock Shooter_

 _The little bird flies to worlds of different colors..._ The words of the story echo in my mind. ' _But there are only two worlds. The real world, and the Otherworld. There is nothing else. It is not as it used to be... the Otherworld is scattered and torn. I have destroyed the balance of this place... I must compensate. But how...?'_

Standing up in my world of mixed colors, I watched as Black Gold Saw's eyes appeared, studying me. Looking longingly into the sky, I wished, just this once, that there was a way to give as much as I had taken from this world. It was a common dream I knew we all shared... we who had led up to the crippling of the Otherworld. Strength, Dead Master, Black Gold Saw, even Chariot. We all were at fault... we all had to make up for our sins in this fragile world.

Suddenly, my vision blurred, and I fell back a step, my hand coming up to my head. Blue flames whirled from the corner of my vision, and I looked instinctively. They were not mine. Instead, a boy, the same age as I, flickered into existence. He held a sword above his head, a determined expression on his face. Plunging the sword down into the thick substance that held him, as well as another body, blue flames erupted from the sword and his body. The bubbling, vacuous liquid quickly flamed and disappeared, leaving the boy kneeling on the floor, his sword held in his hand as he leaned against it. Tearing my gaze away from him, I sought out the older man. Lying facedown on the floor, his head turned sideways, revealing the bloody tear tracks that ran from his eyes. His mouth was turned in a tiny smile, though his eyebrows held the shadow of a frown. A choking sound brought me away from the man. The boy's eyes were hidden, but tears streaked down his face. "Daddy..."

Even as I watched through impassive blue eyes, I felt his suffering deep in my spirit. It was similar to my own when Yomi/Dead Master and I clashed... I looked at his crying face and, for an instant, Kuroi Mato's face replaced his. It was then that I became aware of a heartrending cry in my mind. _Give him back! I want... I want my Daddy back! Please... Somebody! Help me... Help me avenge him!_

My vision went white as I was lifted into the air, my blue flames exploding around me, activating in my left eye. It was as if I had grown wings, for I felt myself propelled by a hitherto unknown force. I lost consciousness as my colorful, broken world faded behind me.


	3. Chapter Two - Unexpected

Chapter Two - Unexpected

 _Okumura Rin_

My mouth was dry. Swallowing did nothing to alleviate the nerves preventing me from speaking. Shiemi stood off to the side, her Greenman, Ni, perched happily on her shoulder, while Izumo, arrogant and conceited, leaned leisurely against the wall, her Kitsune having disappeared back to their plane. The summoning paper in my hands crumpled, my nerves tightening my grip unconsciously. Bon, the one with a chip on his shoulder, sneered in disgust. Finally, after looking at all my Exwire classmates, I lifted my eyes to Yukio, askance and pleading, though for what, I did not know. My brother simply gazed blankly at the wall, refusing to look at me, even after our confrontation.

I gazed at the small scrap of material still clenched in my fingers. Idly smoothing it out, I closed my eyes, pricking my finger and letting the blood drip onto the square of paper. My mouth opened, but no words escaped; while the Summoning instructor had talked about speaking in the auditory sense, there was no indication that it _must_ be heard. " _I don't know what or where you are, but I need you. Please, help me, Ao Hoka."_

For an infinite moment, nothing happened. I heard Bon scoff. "Useless." My shoulders drooped, the paper escaping my fingers to drift to the hard floor. My eyes opened, dejectedly… and the world changed.

A bright light encased the room, my classmates shielding their eyes, and Yukio gave a shout of startled concern. "Nii-san!" I was in the center of the radiance, yet unaffected by the light, even when all others covered their faces. Bewildered, but following a tugging instinct as old as time, I lifted my hands before me, as though something would fall into them. A faint blue shape took form above my outstretched palms, sharpening in focus to a bird. The small creature flew in a lazy circle, strands of azure following its path. Slowly descending to flutter before me, it waited.

Hesitantly, my hands cupped the tiny, Blue bird. Cool flames, so similar to mine, enveloped the bird, spreading among the path of its flight. My eyes widened, and a soft pressure on my fingers appeared. Above me, drifting down, wreathed in blue flames, was the one I had called. Black hair held in long tails, eyes closed, and a small smile on her pale face, she looked like a normal human, but there was something distinctly _other_ about her, even past the blue flames. Her left hand grasped mine with a tenderness that I hadn't felt since Shiro's death. A single tear escaped my eye, and her eyes opened in response. " _Ao Hoka. I have come, as you have called. Rin."_ Though not speaking, I could hear her voice. The blue flames engulfing her diminished, and my own emerged, connecting our hands. Her left eye glimmered before an answering flame sparked into existence. " _I forge our Contract through fire, Okumura Rin. You are worthy, and I accept you."_ A strange longing filled my heart at her words, along with an urge to respond.

My hand tightened on hers, and pulled her closer to my level. " _Ao Hoka, I forge this Contract in fire, and I welcome you, Black Rock Shooter. I accept you."_ Her smile was brief and brilliant, before the light intensified, drowning even our flames out.

"Nii-san!" A hand shook me. I blinked, slowly focusing on Yukio's worried face. I sat up with a groan, moving to rub my face, but my right hand was trapped within the pale confines of the girl I'd Summoned. _Ao Hoka… Blue Other._ I gazed at her, bewildered, before a slow clap brought me from my confusion.

Igor Neuhaus lowered his hands. "Well done, Okumura Rin." The Tamer lowered his eye to the girl lying unconscious on the floor, still grasping my hand. "It is known that Others are extremely hard to Contract, even to high-class Exorcist Tamers." He paused, before continuing bitterly. "May she serve you well." The class stared at the girl I'd summoned before dispersing, whispering uneasily amongst themselves. Yukio helped me up, and between the two of us, we carried the Other, Black Rock Shooter, to our quarters.

 _Just who are you, Black Rock Shooter?_


	4. Chapter Three - Apprehension

Chapter Three - Apprehension

 _Black Rock Shooter_

I awoke in the dark. This was hardly cause for alarm; my own realm, covered in chains of my own making, shackled to torment and pain, was dark and lifeless. No, this darkness was different; it was warm. There were blankets covering me, and the feeling was foreign enough to wake me at once.

Flinging the coverings off, I sat up, observing my surroundings with a critical and battle-trained eye. I was nestled on the bottom of a two-tier bed, in what appeared to be a small dorm room. There was a desk nearby, covered with papers and pencil shavings. Getting cautiously to my feet, I noted that they appeared to be schoolwork, a few tests with exceptionally low grades lying discarded and half-crumpled in a heap. My suspicion settled slightly, but there was something off about all of this.

I was not in the Other World. That was something to be wary of already. Only one Other that I was aware of had ever been pulled into the Human world, but the force of that transition had marked her Human self, killing her Other. There were whispers that she had gone on to do truly remarkable things, free from the fear and doubt that plagued her compatriots, but it had cost her dearly, the highest price to be paid.

I was pulled from my unwelcome thoughts by that feeling again, the same that had shaken me from unconsciousness. It was at once familiar and comforting, but also cold and dangerous. It was the same feeling when one of the Others lost themselves, the same feeling I had experienced. It spoke of unrefined potential for violence and destruction, the slavering of shrouded beasts pulling against the bit, straining to break free. It sent a shiver down my spine, drawing on my energy. The door opened, and I spun to face it, drawing my hands up in preparation for a fight.

"Ah!" A disgruntled young man stood before me, face smattered with moles and thick glasses perched on his nose. He wore a fine uniform, dark and trimmed with white. A curious vial, patterned red and blue with silver embellishment, hung from his jacket as well, a thin needle emerging from the bottom.

Despite his tame appearance, I knew this boy was a warrior. Even if his current appearance belied him, there was a certain glint in his eye, a hardness to his body, that gave away his true nature. Two pistols, strapped close to his sides, raised my hackles, as his hands twitched closer to them. My face contorting into a snarl of defiance, I lunged for him. With any opponent, it was better to attack before giving them an opening to destroy.

He yelped as my palm struck his chest, knocking him back slightly. Sweeping low with my leg, I knocked his feet out from under him. _Show yourself._ His instincts and training kicked in, and he rolled, avoiding taking the brunt of the fall. As he stopped his momentum, his right hand plucked one of the pistols from the holster, training it on me with deadly accuracy. I stood slowly, eyes locked on his. He rose as well, holding my stare, never blinking, never looking away.

I began pacing across the room as he mirrored my movements. Circling each other, his gun never lowering, eyes following each and every slight twitch of my body, no matter how insignificant. Like any true warrior, know thy enemy. If able to predict the movements of an enemy, the warrior will be almost guaranteed a success. The converse was also true. If the enemy knew what the warrior were to expect, unpredictability could win the day. Drawing my hand through my hair, I flipped my longest tail. The boy's eyes followed the movement, his gun wavering away slightly, and I struck.

My sword was pulled from the Void, hilt materializing in my hand, followed by the brilliant silver of the blade. My adversary's eyes widened almost imperceptibly before he was blocking the thrust with the black barrel of his pistol. Calmly, my icy eyes met his, a startled blue chasm. _Curious,_ I mused internally. _You look like her. Like She did._ His eyelids opened a fraction, exposing more of his intriguing gaze. I hummed quietly, as I withdrew my blade, standing still for a moment before lunging, aiming for his left shoulder. My attack reflected in his spectacles before he drew himself from his stupor.

Dropping the gun, he ducked quickly. Grasping my wrist in his hand, he twisting until the sword was drawn back to the Void from my unresponsive fingers. Shifting my weight, he dropped me to the floor, hovering over me, his other hand holding my throat. It was doubtful that he knew his true strength, I thought distantly, aware of a terrible pressure building in the layers of delicate tissue. Unable to physically speak, I turned to my only remaining form of civilized communication.

" _Are you here to kill me, Warrior?"_ The boy pinning me shuddered visibly, eyes looking around for the cause of my whisper. " _Come now, I believe you are too intelligent to act like such a fool. I speak to you, Warrior."_ His attention snapped back to me. I smiled slightly, empty of any emotion. " _If you are here to destroy me, I recommend you do it quickly. Send me to my rest."_

The boy blinked. "I'm… not here to kill you. Why would I do that?" His hand loosened ever so slightly around my throat. I drew a shallow breath of fresh air, difficult with his weight on my body.

Raspy coughs of laughter left me, mocking the boy above me. " _Interesting way to show it, Warrior."_ He began to splutter, his face turning a strange shade of magenta. " _I am a creature of war, Warrior. I have seen too many battles to not see the signs. I have slain others, and have escaped the edge of death many times. It seems you may have finally won the right to end my life."_ A true cough forced its passage out of my battered throat, tinged pink with threads of blood from my abused tissues. The Warrior's eyes widened at the sight, but he did not release my neck.

"I don't want to kill you. I don't want to hurt anyone." Even as he spoke, his eyes shifted. I smiled deprecatingly.

" _Your eyes show your lies, Warrior. There is someone, something, that you desire to destroy, even if I am merely its placeholder for the moment. It's fine, Warrior. I have lived too long, anyway. Most Others live only half as long as I, if they are lucky."_ It was true – I was one of the eldest surviving Others at this point. I had had my fill of violence and death, of killing the other Selves who crossed the threshold into madness. Kuroi Mato likely did not need me to bear her burdens anymore. I closed my eyes. Darkness was encroaching on my vision, my body weak from little access to air.

And like that, in that shameful moment of defeat, the door flew open with such force that the wall was damaged. An exclamation from the Warrior above me drew my eyes to the new visitor. _Blue. Blue flames. Ah, my fire… you have come to bear me away._ My eyelids drooped, my mind spiraling into unconsciousness even as the weight vanished from my body and gentle hands lifted me. _Take me away from here, and take care of her… of Mato._

 ** _A/N - Hello, hello! Two new works in one day?! What happened? Well, I attended a writer's retreat today and spent a solid 6-7 hours sitting in a chair, writing. No internet, nothing else to intervene. Funny what happens in that sort of time, hmm? Anyway, I was graced with good company and my muse decided to make an appearance, so here we are. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts, if you'd like to share them with me via review or PM. I've already started on the next chapter, so I may have that up soon. In any case, I will see you all next chapter. XOXOXO AT_**


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